JMD-70 wrote:
Check this, I have a serious problem and I'm trying to prevent having a $1700 paper weight on my hands! You see, I sent my 28-70 F/2.8 in for repair at a local D.C. repair shop,...(Google). THis was due to the lens suddenly stopped zooming or focusing,...I forget because it's been at the shop for so long! Apparently, there is a piece in the lens that enables the "lens" to zoom! I was told that it's a precision piece that is shaped like a tuning fork, etc. Anyway, I'm being told that Nikon doesn't have the part in stock. Well, I was told that for 4 to 6 months. Nor did they have the tech data so that it could be made at a local machine shop, etc. Note, my lens has been out of commission since July of 2012! Yes,..that long! Well, about a month ago, I was finally asked,..."do you want us to send your lens to Nikon?" What!,...I'm thinking,...damn,...you could have done that 5 months ago. Well, they sent it to NIkon,..I believe it was sent to Nikon in Melville NY and about 30 days passed again before I did a status check and NOW I'm told it cannot be repaired! So naturally, I'm thinking at like $1700-per-hour! I cannot believe or wnat to accept this. I then asked the Customer Service 'person',..."So, what are you saying,...I will have a $1700 paperweight now?" He didn't answer,...we a little talked more,...and again I asked the question,...Are you saying I'll now have a $1700 paperweight?,...and he finally answered,..."that's about the size of it".
I can feel you pain, but ...
First, as several others have pointed out, it seem to me the main culprit in causing the long delay is your local shop, not Nikon.
Second, this is a lens that was replaced by the AF-S 24/70/2.8 in 2007, and as far as I understand the 28-70 was actually not produced for a while even before that, so it is probably at least like six years ago they stopped manufacturing this lens. Now, supposedly, Nikon aim at keeping spare parts around for ten years after a lens was last manufactured, but the 28-70/2.8 - as nice as it is in many other ways - is unfortunately a design prone to many breakdowns. Search this forum, and you will find quite a few threads on the very same brakedown you had. So Nikon might have run out of some of these spare parts a bit earlier then expected.
Third, talk to any experienced Nikon support technician about disassembling, repairing and assembling back lenses and they will usually gladly tell you about it. But if you mention the 28-70/2.8 it is very likely the same technician will jump and look pale all of a sudden. That lens has a horrible internal design (part of why it is prone to breaking down) and is an absolute nightmare to repair. I had one 28-70 where the focus motor died, in most AF-S lenses a fairly easy repair. But the guy owning our local Nikon repair shop (a guy with some 35 years of experience repairing Nikon stuff) showed me the instructions for taking apart the 28-70 and plainly said he was reluctant to do it since the repair would cost quite a bit more then I paid for the lens ... (ok, I got it fairly cheap, but anyway)
Now, I may not get the lens repaired,..but I'll prolly never spend big bucks on another lens ever again!
You had the bad luck of choosing one of the worst lens designs ever in a repair perspective. Not all other lenses are that prone to breaking down and being so expensive and difficult to repair.
Nikon, this is unexcuseable! Fail,...Major Fail,..Freak'n Major Fail!
Please, recommendations are on this are highly encouraged! Thank you vm...
Judging from your gear list, you seem like a pro or very ambitious enthusiast. My advice: Get a AF-S 24-70/2.8 and just get on with your photography ... The 28-70, nice as it is in many ways, might not be worth the effort any more.
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I don't suffer from insanity, I enjoy every moment of it!
By the way, film is not dead.
It just smell funny